Dodgers at ease, thanks to pitching depth

L.A. has good alternatives if Kershaw, Buehler can't answer the bell

March 17th, 2019

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Dodgers are so deep in starting pitching that even though they leave Arizona in a week and neither Clayton Kershaw nor Walker Buehler has thrown a competitive pitch between them, nobody seems to be panicking.

Barring a miracle progression, Kershaw won’t be ready to open the season, even though he now seems past the shoulder inflammation that set him back three weeks. He throws another bullpen session on Sunday, but it’s still unclear when he will pitch in his first Spring Training game or whether his arm will be built up enough to be active when the season starts.

Buehler also is behind schedule because of shoulder issues, but not as much as Kershaw. On Saturday, Buehler threw a 35-pitch bullpen session, a setup to his first spring game on Tuesday. To get him on schedule to pitch opening week, Buehler is slated to pitch three innings in that first game, an unusually high debut total.

Manager Dave Roberts hasn’t confirmed anything, but by matching up the current rotation with the calendar, the Dodgers are lined up in order with Rich Hill, Ross Stripling, Buehler, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Kenta Maeda.

With the Dodgers, of course, everything is subject to change.

In contrast to Kershaw and Buehler, the other four have been healthy and very effective this spring.

The 39-year-old Hill has allowed one earned run in 6 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts and no walks. He also pitched in a Minor League game, but those stats are unofficial. He starts on Sunday.

Stripling has allowed two earned runs in 8 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and two walks. If and when all starters are healthy, Stripling is ticketed to the bullpen. But that was the plan last year and he got so many starts in the first half, and did so well, that he was added to the All-Star team.

Ryu has pitched this spring the way he did when he was healthy last year. He has allowed two earned runs in 10 innings with nine strikeouts and no walks.

Maeda has allowed three runs in 10 innings, but he has racked up 15 strikeouts with only one walk. He’s the only one of the four to allow a home run.

Hill, Stripling, Ryu and Maeda have combined for 38 strikeouts, three walks and a 2.06 ERA.

Waiting in the wings is Julio Urias, who has been used as a starter this spring even though Roberts has indicated he more than likely will open the season in the bullpen. Urias has allowed one run in nine innings with nine strikeouts and two walks.

Not in the immediate plans is Tony Gonsolin, but during the week Roberts said he wouldn’t be surprised to see the right-hander help the Dodgers sometime during the season. On Saturday, Gonsolin made his second Major League start of the spring and fired three more scoreless innings. He hasn’t allowed a run in nine innings with six strikeouts and two walks. Roberts said the same about Dustin May, who hasn’t allowed a run in six innings.